


Take It or Leave It

by qweenofasadland



Series: Harringrove Week of Love Prompt Fills [3]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Drinking, First Time Blow Jobs, Harringrove, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Only One Bed, Runaway Max
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 17:45:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17750555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/qweenofasadland/pseuds/qweenofasadland
Summary: After Max goes missing, there is reason to think that she might be headed to her father's house in California. With the police and Max's mother believing that she is still in Hawkins, Steve and Billy band together and head west.





	1. I'm Driving

Steve awoke to someone ringing the doorbell and banging on his door. His parents weren’t home so he begrudgingly climbed out of bed and headed downstairs to see who it was. Looking out the peephole, Steve saw an anxious Dustin on the doorstep. He opened the door and Dustin pushed past him into the house.

He started rapidly talking. “Why are you not wearing pants? Never mind, it doesn’t matter. Max is missing. No one has seen her since yesterday. Lucas called her house this morning and her mom didn’t know where she was. Her mom has been looking for her all around town and even that asshole Billy went out looking for her. Finally, her mom called the police.”

“They have a search party out in the woods looking for her. The thing is, we think that she ran away. When she talked to Lucas on the phone last night, she was going on about how much she hated her stepdad and Billy told the police that he thinks she ran off to California to see her real dad. Her mom and the police don’t believe that though.”

When Dustin had finally finished talking, Steve asked, “So what’s the plan then?” Dustin smiled and said, “I knew you’d help!” “I did not say I would help, I just asked what the plan was. I know you all are working on some sort of scheme, so what is it?”

“We were hoping that you would help us look for her, where the cops aren’t looking. We were thinking of following the bus routes from here to California. If we start heading west now, we may be able to find her before she gets too far.”

Steve just stared at him, dubiously. Finally, he questioned Dustin, “Are you serious? Do you actually think all of your parents would let you guys just leave town like that, especially with no proof that Max is actually headed to California? No, no. Absolutely, no way.”

 

_____________________________________________________

 

Steve scolded himself for agreeing to such a ridiculous plan as he sat in the driveway at the Hargrove residence. He wasn’t sure why he had agreed to Dustin’s idiotic plan. He was concerned for Max but didn’t think driving across the country looking for her was the best approach. It certainly wasn’t feasible for Dustin or any of the other kids to tag along and it took nearly all of his energy to make that argument clear to Dustin.

Instead, Steve reluctantly agreed to visit the Hargrove household and talk to Billy. He was nervous and had every right to be. The last interaction he had with Billy had been disastrous. Ever since he had his ass handed to him by Billy, Steve had done his best to avoid him. Apparently, Max had threatened Billy and it had proven to be successful in that Billy left the kids – and Steve – alone.

Steve took a deep breath and talked himself into getting out of the car. He knocked politely at the door and waited. Billy, disheveled and pale, answered. “What the fuck do you want Harrington?” Though the words were harsh, they were said with barely more than indifference. “I want to help find Max.”

“Go join the search party.” Billy slammed the door shut in Steve’s face. Undeterred, Steve knocked on the door and yelled, “Just hear me out, okay? I believe you, that she’s headed to California. It’s what the kids think too.” He patiently waited, hoping it was enough to evoke Billy’s interest.

Thankfully, it worked and Billy opened the door again. “So? How exactly are you going to help if she’s on her way to California?”

Steve relayed the plan that Dustin and the others had come up with. Billy scoffed. “You are actually considering driving all the way to California to find Max?”

Steve shrugged and told him, “I don’t have anything going on and I doubt it would matter if I missed a few days of school, my grades are shit anyway. If the cops and your stepmom aren’t listening and won’t start looking outside of Hawkins, I want to do what I can to help find her. Even if that means driving across the country.”

Billy gave him a skeptical glance and asked, “Why do you care so much anyway? I know you ‘babysit’ all the kids, which is weird by the way, but I’m not sure why you are willing to do something so drastic.”

“Well, besides the fact that Max is probably the least annoying out of the bunch, I am concerned about her and I want to find her to make sure she is safe but also I want to do it for all the kids. They look up to me, for some reason, and they are sort of depending on me to do this.”

“Okay, if you are so determined, why did you come here instead of just taking off immediately?”

“I wanted to get her dad’s address in California and I wanted to ask why you are certain that’s where she is headed. Did she leave a note, take a bag, or leave any sort of clue?”

Billy smiled, sharp and poisonous. “Are you living in an alternate reality where this is Scooby-Doo? The police looked and didn’t find anything.”

He was clearly on the defense, so Steve was under the impression that Billy was hiding something. “So you don’t have any other information that could help find Max?”

Billy rolled his eyes and sighed. “She took all of my money and left a note ‘I’ll pay you back’. Which, I didn’t tell the police because I didn’t want her to get in trouble for it. I told Susan though, but that idiot says she simply cannot believe her daughter would just take off to California.

“I mean you can’t really blame her. It’s not like most kids her age would be brave enough to attempt something so insane. However, Max is definitely different and it sounds like something she would do. I just don’t understand the reason. I don’t know what could have happened to make her want to leave her mom, friends, and boyf – “ Steve cut himself off, knowing the tension between Billy and Lucas.

Billy had a distant look in his eyes but he shrugged. “I have no idea why Max left. I just know that she did and I’m pretty sure she is headed to California but the dumbass police and this town are out looking for her in those goddamn woods.”

Steve looked at his watch. “Okay, so what’s her dad’s address? I have to get going, I’m hoping to find her before she gets too far or something happens to her.” Billy left Steve standing in the living room as he headed towards the bedrooms. Steve assumed he was looking for the address.

Instead, Billy reappeared wearing different clothing and carrying a duffel bag. “I’m driving. Let’s go.”


	2. Everything

Steve wasn’t surprised that Billy wanted to go look for Max, but he did wonder why Billy still allowed Steve to come with him. Steve also asked himself why he was still on this bizarre endeavor. He attributed it to genuine care for Max and the kids but he acknowledged that there was another reason he couldn’t quite pin down.

Billy had followed him to his house to drop off the BMW before Steve grabbed his bag and hopped in the Camaro. There was a lot of awkward silence until they stopped to grab dinner at a small, shitty diner somewhere in Illinois. They had been to the Indianapolis station and a stop in Illinois so far with no luck.

While they tried to quickly consume their meal, Steve eventually mustered up enough nerve to ask Billy, “I know that you didn’t tell me the whole truth. Why would Max run away? Did it have something to do with your father? Lucas said that Max had been talking about him last night.”

A temporary look of pain crossed Billy’s features before they warped into a scowl. “Shut up and eat your food, we need to get back on the road.” By the tone of his voice, Steve knew that he meant business so he kept quiet.

Once they were back in the Camaro and on the road, Billy turned down the music and sighed. He nervously drummed his hand against the steering wheel before finally disclosing, “My dad hit Max. She mouthed off and he slapped her. Susan wasn’t there when he did it so she doesn’t know. My fa – Max and I swore not to tell her.”

Steve’s stomach turned at the revelation, then he became angry. “Are you serious? When I get back, I’ll fucking kill that asshole.”

Billy scoffed. “Yeah, good luck with that.”

He turned and looked at Billy and suddenly something clicked in his mind. _Of course_. Billy’s father was an abusive piece of shit and Max was not the first person he’s hit. Everything about Billy was finally starting to make sense.

Billy noticed Steve was staring at him. “Will you stop fucking looking at me like that?!”

“Like what?”

Billy’s lips pressed in a hard line and he shifted gears as he sped up. “Like you feel sorry for me.”

“Will you slow down? Believe me, I do not feel sorry for you. You are probably the last person on the planet that I would feel sorry for. Why would I feel sorry for someone who tried to kill me? Slow the fuck down!”

Billy groaned but did reduce his speed. “Fine, are you happy now?”

“It’s just that we have to be careful. If we get pulled over, it could screw up our chance to find Max.”

He nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.”

They made it to another bus station before it got too late. After perusing the station while calling for Max and showing her photo to the employees, the two of them headed back to the car without success. Both were feeling defeated but Billy expressed his anger, “Goddamn it! If we haven’t caught up to her yet, I’m not sure if we ever will. I don’t know what to do.”

His last words sounded more of distress than anger as he put his head in his hands. Out of impulse, Steve rubbed Billy’s back, “It will be okay. We will find her.”

Billy allowed him to rub his back for a moment but then he suddenly pulled away and shouted, “Don’t fucking touch me!” Steve put his hands up in surrender and apologized. They drove in silence for a while until Billy pulled off at an exit.

“Where are you going?”

“The sign said there’s a motel,” Billy said flatly.

“Should we pull over so soon? We’ve only been to four places.”

“I don’t think we are going to catch her. Who knows how much of a head start she has and it’s nearing 3am. I – we need to rest. Okay?”

“Yeah, okay.”

The motel was sketchy to say the least but advertised as cheap. Between the two of them they did not have much money so, cheap was good. The two of them went inside the office. A woman in her fifties or sixties sat behind the desk.

Steve spoke, “Hi, ma’am. We need a room for the night, with two beds.”

“I’ve only got doubles,” the lady said without looking up from her magazine.

“Umm, okay, then we will take two rooms,” Steve said apprehensively, without desiring to spend the extra money.

“I only have one room left. Take it or leave it.”

Steve looked to Billy for a decision. He shrugged and said, “That’s fine.”

Steve turned back towards the woman. “Okay, we’ll take it. How much for one night?”

Her eyes finally met Steve and Billy. “Fifteen bucks.”

Steve sighed but didn’t comment as he handed over the cash, thinking that she had probably inflated the price. The woman gave the room key to Steve and said with false courtesy, “Have a great night.”

Billy and Steve took their bags and headed to the room. It was a dump but it was warm and the bed looked clean. That could not be said about the floor however. Regardless, Steve offered, “Since you drove all day, you can have the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor or something.”

“You cannot sleep on the floor, it’s filthy.”

“The bathtub then?”

Billy peeked inside the bathroom and he sucked in air through his teeth. “Umm, I don’t think that’s a good idea either. I’m not sure I would even shower in there let alone sleep in there.”

Steve approached the doorway and looked over Billy’s shoulder. He nearly gagged as he saw the scum encrusted over the entire tub. “That’s fucking nasty, man. And she had the audacity to charge $15. I guess the floor it is.”

Billy denied his suggestion, “No, no way. There’s plenty of room in the bed. If you are that paranoid about sleeping with another dude, then we can use a pillow or roll up the duvet to put between us.”

Steve scoffed. “I am not paranoid. I just thought that you might have a problem with it. But as long as it’s okay with you, then I don’t mind sharing the bed.”

“Okay since that’s settled, I’m going to go to the bathroom,” Billy said with a grin.

While he was in the bathroom, Steve changed into basketball shorts and crawled into one side of the bed. He drifted to sleep but woke up when Billy climbed into bed after turning out the lights. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he whispered.

“It’s okay,” Steve mumbled. He felt Billy’s leg brush his own. Instead of pulling away, Steve allowed the skin on skin contact and Billy did not move either. Steve eventually fell back asleep. It was still dark when Billy shook him awake. “Hmm?” Steve responded, not roused enough to use words.

“I can’t sleep with your dick jabbing me in the leg,” Billy whispered with indifference.

It took a moment for the words and the situation to register but once it did, Steve was wide-awake. He jolted backwards. He had been spooning Billy. He was revolted and terrified of Billy’s reaction, though he didn’t sound angry. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Steve apologized as he moved away.

Billy chuckled. “It’s cool, man. Were you dreaming of that geeky ex of yours, or some other chick?”

His heart skipped a beat as he recalled his dreams. Steve could feel himself blush at the memory but thankfully the room was dark. He had dreamt about Billy. More specifically, the dream consisted of Billy giving him a handjob. “Umm… I don’t remember.”

Billy smacked Steve’s arm and laughed. “You are so full of shit!” He then turned towards Steve and persuaded, “Come on, tell me.” His voice was low, husky and it fucked Steve up.

He stammered, “I – ugh – it’s embarrassing. I don’t want to say.” He internally cursed himself for blurting that. He knew that it would only make Billy more curious.

Billy sat up, the lights of the parking lot outlining his dark form. “Oh, now you have to tell me.” Steve stayed silent as Billy hovered over him. Billy then lunged towards him and pinned his shoulders down. “Tell me Harrington.”

He then brought his face within an inch of Steve’s. Steve could feel and smell Billy’s warm and sweet breath. He couldn’t see but just knew that Billy had a grin on his face. “Were you thinking about me Harrington?”

Steve knew that it was probably a mistake to do so, but he couldn’t resist it any longer. He kissed Billy. To Steve’s pleasant surprise, Billy kissed him back, rough and urgent. 

Billy then laughed against Steve’s lips. “I knew it! I knew you had the hots for me Harrington. I mean your huge boner against my leg was a pretty good indication, but I wanted to be sure. I definitely wasn’t expecting that kiss though. Fuck, that was a damn good kiss.” 

Steve scrutinized the level of enthusiasm in Billy’s voice. He was afraid that Billy was setting him up. “Are you just messing with me?”

Billy softly touched Steve’s hair and cheek. “No, pretty boy. You are all that I’ve thought about ever since I arrived in Hawkins. I never thought in a million years you would actually go for me though, especially after what I did to you. I’m really sorry for laying my hands on you in violence. I took out all my shit on you and you didn’t deserve that. I could see why you would be skeptical.”

Overwhelmed by Billy’s words, Steve blundered, “I – umm – I’ve never been with a guy before.”

“That’s okay baby. We don’t have to do anything, I’m just happy to be with you anyway I can.”

Taking the initiative, Steve pulled Billy close and kissed him again. He had to show Billy that he wanted him, needed him in despite of the past they shared. Billy tightly pressed his body against Steve as their tongues explored each other’s mouth. Billy then pulled away and began kissing Steve’s neck. Steve softly gasped and his cock throbbed against Billy’s warmth.

Billy returned to Steve’s lips, giving him a fervent kiss before skimming kisses down his chin, his throat, and his chest. He paused after he had reached below Steve’s navel. Billy grasped the waistband of Steve’s pajamas and asked, “Do you want me to…” 

He didn’t have to finish the sentence. Steve told him, “Yes,” before curling his fingers into Billy’s locks. Billy eased Steve’s pants down and grabbed his cock with one hand. His lips closed over the tip of Steve’s dick and Steve moaned as he felt Billy’s tongue on him.

Billy bobbed up and down on Steve’s cock, giving Steve the best head that he had ever received. He attempted to fight the urge to pull Billy’s hair, but fell to temptation. With Steve’s cock down his throat, Billy unintelligibly dissented, “Hmnh.”

“Sorry, you are just so fucking good.”

Billy continued to suck Steve’s dick until he finally tipped over the edge of ecstasy. Steve’s warm cum spilled down Billy’s throat. Billy swallowed and lapped up the rest off of his cock.

After he recovered from his orgasm, Steve grabbed Billy and tossed him on his back. He was nervous about giving a blowjob for the first time but he wanted to do it.

Steve kissed Billy’s inner thighs, like he had done with a few girls before Nancy. With Nancy, they only had sex a handful of times and she freaked out when he had attempted to go down on her. Steve assumed that though the equipment was not the same, giving a blowjob wouldn’t be much different than going down on a girl.

However, when Steve reached Billy’s hard cock, he faltered. Facing uncertainty, he asked Billy, “Could you tell me if I’m doing anything wrong? Maybe talk me through it a little bit?”

“Okay, but I’m sure you’ll do fine. Just do what feels good to you.”

“Okay.” Steve put his hand on Billy’s cock and began to stroke it. Billy ran his hand through Steve’s hair. Steve slowly encircled his lips around Billy’s dick. He wet the tip with his tongue and gradually took Billy further and further into his mouth.

Billy encouraged him, “Yeah, just like that baby.”

Steve dropped his hand from Billy’s shaft and let his mouth do all of the work, taking Billy’s cock as far as it could go. As it hit the back of his throat the first few times, Steve’s gag reflex was activated. However, once he became accustomed to the sensation, Steve was able to continuously deep throat Billy’s thick dick. 

Though he was wordless, Billy expressed his content with Steve’s technique through sighs and moans. After a while, Steve pulled back and focused on the tip of Billy’s cock. As his tongue swirled and he sucked at the head of Billy’s cock, his hand slid up and down the shaft. Billy was panting as he became closer and closer to orgasm.

“Steve, I – oh fuck.” Billy came into Steve’s mouth. Steve had adventurously sampled his own cum before and though it was similar, Billy had his own individual taste. As he swallowed and thought about it, he realized that he liked how Billy tasted. Not just his cum but also his spit, his skin, his sweat. Everything.

Steve wiped his mouth and crawled up beside Billy, wrapping his arms around him. He drew Billy’s face towards his own and kissed him. As they parted, Billy let out a satisfied sigh. He then cleared his throat and with a deadly serious tone, told Steve, “As great as that was, it can’t happen again. We have to continue hating each other. No one can find out.”

Steve felt as though his heart had been ripped out of his chest and devoured by the boy he was still holding. He had no one else to blame for his pain except for himself. He had been vulnerable before and it nearly destroyed him. If it wasn’t for the kids, Steve had no idea what would have become of him. And yet, he had allowed for it to occur once more.

He slowly pulled away from Billy, turning his back to him. Steve could not bear to touch him, let alone look at him right now. It was agony even being in the same room with him. His lip quivered as he fought back the tears. Eventually, Steve was able to fall back asleep, but it was not a sound slumber.


	3. This Isn't a Beer

The rest of the trip to California had been filled with bitter silence. When they reached Max’s father’s house, Max begged for them to stay at least a few days. She missed her father and wanted to spend time with him.

They had agreed, much to Steve’s discomfort. But, they were not left with much of a choice, as it had been difficult to get Max to consider coming back to Hawkins at all. She had agreed to give it a try after Billy swore that he would never allow his father to yell at her let alone lay a finger on her.

Billy had gone off and met up with some friends while Max and her father, Ian, were kind enough to show Steve around. The first spot they had taken him to was the beach. Though he had been to several beaches along the Atlantic, this was the first time that he had seen the Pacific Ocean.

Though he had attempted to enjoy himself, his encounter with Billy had put a damper on his mood. Max knew something was off and questioned him. Steve told her it was nothing for her to worry about. They had returned to Ian’s house in the evening with no sign of Billy. Eventually, they all went to bed.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Billy shook Steve awake. “Steve. Steve! I need to tell you something,” Billy, who was reeking of alcohol, attempted to whisper but it was louder than he was intending. Steve hushed him but he continued, “I want to tell you that I’m sorry. I was a dick, I’m always a dick.” Steve scoffed and then whispered, “Yeah and right now you are being a drunk dick. Go to bed Billy.”

A strange sound emerged from the other boy’s lips, somewhere between a whimper and a groan. “I _have_ to tell you something first. Steve, I like you. I’ve never liked anyone before and I don’t know what to do.” Steve sighed, not feeling much comfort from Billy’s words due to his level of intoxication. “Just go to bed Billy. 

“Okay, but you promise to talk to me tomorrow?” Steve hated to admit it, but he found Billy’s current state slightly endearing. “Okay, we’ll talk tomorrow. Go. To. Bed.” Billy stood from his kneeling position beside Steve on the couch and stumbled down the hall to the bedrooms. Steve doubted Billy would even remember this tomorrow but had a small hope that he would. After dealing with his thoughts, Steve eventually fell back asleep.

The next day, Ian made a large breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and eggs. They all gathered around the dining table and consumed the meal. Max animatedly spoke to her father about her new school and friends. She didn’t disclose that Lucas was her boyfriend and neither Billy nor Steve brought it up. It was her business and her choice whether or not she should tell her father.

Ian began discussing the plans for the day, asking Max what she wanted to do. She suggested an amusement park and her father agreed. She then asked both Steve and Billy to come with them. “Umm, I don’t know,” Steve answered with uncertainty. There was a slight look of disappointment on Max’s face and he was about to agree to go.

Instead, Billy responded for him, “Yeah, we will go. Should be fun, I haven’t been there in a while.” Steve stared him down and Billy gave him a shit-eating grin before shoving a forkful of pancake into his mouth. Perhaps he did remember what he had said the night before.

Steve wasn’t exactly looking forward to the amusement park. He did not like riding roller coasters and wasn’t sure what was in store at this particular park. He did not want to embarrass himself in front of Max and her dad, and especially Billy.

Thankfully for Steve, it consisted more of carnival games than thrill rides. They were all having a good time but Steve was desperate to talk to Billy without the prying ears of Max and her father. He finally received that chance when Max and Ian decided to ride the Ferris wheel.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Steve turned to Billy and they both simultaneously said, “So…” They laughed and Steve allowed Billy to speak first. “I was pretty wasted last night but I remember and I meant what I said. I was an asshole and I’m not trying to excuse how I acted but instead offer an explanation.”

As he paused, Steve interjected, “I mean, you sort of explained it last night. That you’ve never liked anyone before and don’t know what to do.” Billy put a hand in his hair and shook his curls out. “Yeah that’s about it. I have this fucked up tendency of not just pushing but shoving people away.” Steve cleared his throat and prepared to ask a difficult question. “There’s something that I don’t understand. Why did you say all those things _before_? Was it just a ploy?" 

Billy lifted his hands but then dropped them before shoving them into his pockets. “No, no. I meant everything I said.” Steve scoffed. “Including the part where you said it could never happen again and about us hating each other?” He sighed and stared at the ground. “Yes, it would be safer that way but that’s not what I actually want. Is that what you want?”

Billy’s blue eyes met Steve’s as he waited for an answer. Steve wasn’t brave enough to verbally respond, so he shook his head side to side. Billy’s face lit up, a genuine and brilliant smile spreading ear to ear. Steve grinned back. Billy’s smile faded and he said, “Shit, they’re coming back. Will you go somewhere with me tonight?” Steve rapidly stammered out a response, “Umm… yeah, okay.”

 

_____________________________________________________

 

Steve didn’t know what to expect when Billy had said he wanted to take him somewhere but it certainly wasn’t the gay bar that they were currently ordering drinks at. Steve was slightly uncomfortable but Billy seemed like he had been here before so he trusted him.

Billy handed him a bright blue cocktail and he yelled over the noise, “This isn’t a beer!” He just laughed and told him, “Just drink it! You could use the buzz! You need to relax!” Steve rolled his eyes but downed the drink anyway. Billy ordered another round and after they had drank those, he commanded, “Let’s go dance!”

Steve wanted to say no but didn’t have a chance as Billy grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the dance floor. The atmosphere itself was intoxicating and pretty soon, Steve found himself dancing.

For a while, he and Billy kept their distance from each other. But as the night went on, they drew closer and closer to each other. Other men had approached both of them but they both declined their offers to dance. Finally, Billy grabbed Steve by his hand and spun him around. He rested his head on Steve’s back and grasped his hips as they danced together.

Steve slid his hands over Billy’s and laced their fingers together. They danced like that for a bit before Steve eventually twirled around and wrapped his arms around Billy’s neck before kissing him. There were a couple of nearby cheers as they made out. When they finally withdrew from each other’s lips, Billy spoke in Steve’s ear, “I need some air, let’s get out of here.” 

Billy then took Steve by the hand and guided him out of the bar. They sat on the sidewalk as they shared a cigarette. “What did you think?” Billy asked him about Steve’s first experience at a gay bar. “It was great. I loved it.” He then reached for Billy’s hand and squeezed it. “I love this.” As he looked into Billy’s happy face, Steve could not deny his own overwhelming happiness. 

Steve suddenly began to wonder if they could stay in California forever.


End file.
